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50 years later, and they're still hair:

Henri's School marks golden anniversary of styling in Fitchburg

By Alana Melanson, amelanson@sentinelandenterprise.com

Updated:
09/28/2012 11:28:13 AM EDT

ITCHBURG -- For nearly three generations, Henri's School of Hair Design has been a permanent Fitchburg fixture. This year, the beauty school turns 50, and a celebration, including a competition of nail and hair art throughout the decades, is planned for Sunday.

Founded in 1962 by Henri J. Gauvin Jr., the school began at 219 Main St., and migrated to its current location, 276 Water St., in 1969.

Gauvin, born and raised in Fitchburg, served four years in the Marine Corps before returning home and deciding to go to hairdressing school. He began his first salon at 310 Main St., in 1950, and throughout his career, he owned and operated 22 salons throughout Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

All of those salons closed down over the years, and now, only the school, run by his son Mark, and its related wholesale beauty-product distributorship, W.S. Beauty Supply on Jackson Avenue, run by his son Paul, are still in operation.

"We grew up in the family, working in it, working in the business, and it just became a part of us," said Mark Gauvin, 59.

For him, being a hairdresser has been a rewarding and fulfilling career. Mark Gauvin worked in a salon until his father died in 1990, and then began teaching full time at the school.

"Both sides have been rewarding," he said. "On the school side, it's great seeing students develop from being very young and unknowledgeable, honing their skills, and becoming talented and successful in their career.

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Mark Gauvin said he's happy to keep the family business alive, and his daughter, Jillian Gauvin, 30, also a trained stylist, has recently taken a role at the school.

According to his wife, Debbie, the school's students practice their craft on members of the public, some of whom have been clients since the start.

"We have some clients that remember going to the school when it was located on Main Street in the early '60s," Debbie Gauvin said.

The school has been continuously accredited by the National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts and Sciences since 1969, Debbie Gauvin said, and is a member of cosmetology-education institute Pivot Point International.

At the 50th anniversary gala Sunday, to be held at the school from 1 to 4 p.m., family, friends, clients, students and graduates will celebrate with a walk down memory lane, in more ways than one.

In addition to scrapbooks and other memorabilia from throughout the years, students from both the hair and nail programs will compete to see who can recreate the most authentic styles from each decade from the 1960s to the present. The public will vote on their favorites, and a winner will be chosen from both categories.

Students have been researching all of the top styles and popular culture hits in movies and music, and are prepared to show off their best, Debbie said.

All who attend the event will receive a raffle ticket at the door and will be automatically entered into every giveaway at no cost, she said. A number of items, including Joico hair products, styling tools, pedicures, restaurant gift certificates and baskets with such items as wine and chocolate will be raffled off.

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